NALPs are cytoplasmic proteins that form a subfamily within the larger CATERPILLER protein family. Most short NALPs such as NALP11 have an N-terminal pyrin (MEFV; MIM 608107) domain (PYD) followed by a NACHT domain a NACHT-associated domain (NAD) and a C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region. The long NALP NALP1 (MIM 606636) also has a C-terminal extension containing a function to find domain (FIIND) and a caspase recruitment domain (CARD). NALPs are implicated in the activation of proinflammatory caspases (e.g. CASP1; MIM 147678) via their involvement in multiprotein complexes called inflammasomes (Tschopp et al. 2003 [PubMed 12563287]).[supplied by OMIM Mar 2008]